tips on air transitions?

jonah · Since 20 Jul 2006 169 Posts Hood River Stoked

First, thanks to everyone who replied to my question about how to land big jumps softly. I tried them out at RR last Monday and they worked great. One of the best tips was to sheet out while coming down and then sheet in at the last second.. I could really feel my descent slowing down when I did this.

Now I'd like to learn how to get air during a transition. Usually, I send the kite to get the air, and as soon as I have lost all forward speed, I keep the kite at 12, and end up landing with almost no speed in any direction. Before I can send the kite in the new direction, I sink.

If I try to send the kite in the new direction while I'm still in the air, I end up swinging out (in the old direction... which is fun), but also downwind of the kite, which slackens the lines, and the kite dies.

Can someone describe the overall technique in detail? Or give a few general tips?

Thanks!

pdxmonkeyboy · Fri Oct 13, 06 10:53 am

I don't have the time to type it all out right now but I will pass this tip along to you.

if you have a high speed connection, go to totalvid.com. Get an account, and then you can DL and wacth all kinds of kiteboard movies for like $7 a month. Tons of movies actually. Anyways, DL the progression kiteboard series. Awesome instruction on jumping, spinning, front rolls, back rolls, and spinning transitions, etc. hands down the best instrcutional vid out there!!

Mark · Fri Oct 13, 06 4:08 pm

Here is another source of videos for learning. This one is Free!

http://www.kitefilm.com/eng/weeklytrick.asp

Mark

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

you know I never quite got the hang of the ones where you just swoop the kite back across. And if you watch guys who are really good at them, it seems like 1/2 the time they plop down with no power and end up slogging away.

So I say, go straight for downloop transitions... you land with power and speed every time, even in really light wind. Its also easier timing IMO. With a front roll it feels real sweet and super smooth. Sometimes you get an extra lift from the downloop and you get this weightless feeling of just stopping in mid air with your kite flying in front of you... its fun.

I'd just start practicing them on a light day, you can get your ass handed to you if you don't commit fully to the downloop. Make sure you put the hand your going to loop with all the way out near the end of the bar so you have no trouble commiting to the loop. Other than that there is nothing to it. Jump, wait till your at the peak and just about to start heading back down, then let go your back hand and pull on your front hand hard. Don't stop pulling till your on the water and riding away.

Thumb's Up

jonah · Since 20 Jul 2006 169 Posts Hood River Stoked

Interesting suggestion, Phil. I've been doing downloop transitions when I'm on the water, so I think it should be easy to give those a try. Though when I do them on the water, I find that I get very powered by the end of the loop. Do you want to have killed all forward momentum (by sending hard, maybe so much so that you start moving in the new direction) before you initiate the downloop?

Thanks for the kite movie links. Kitefilm is great for advanced moves, but they don't really explain the theory behind the moves that much (or do enough slo-mo action). I did look at the one they have on transitions. Their advice is just to not move the kite too quickly.

I'll try TotalVid, they have a 7 day free trial too.

Thanks

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

I agree with Phil that overall downloop transitions are smoother and in a sense almost easier, hence I do those almost all of the time. If you want to downloop without committing to something too close to a kiteloop I would recommend getting the timing so that you've already landed by the time the kite passes the bottom of the loop (at 6 o'clock). That way while coming down at first the kite smoothes the descent like a normal jump (as it moves from 12 to 9 o'clock), but by the time you've landed it's moving in the opposite direction and pulling you that way as well.

If you're still interested in the straight transition jump you should try to land with the kite somewhat powered. If the kite reaches the edge of the window before you come down then you'll get dropped (and probably swing around before the drop). To accomplish this you might need to hold the kite above your head longer than usual and probably even move it forward a bit. Then once you're close enough to the water (judge this for yourself) send the kite backwards, a bit harder than normal to overcome the forward momentum. This way the kite flies across the window a bit lower than usual, generating some nice pull in the backwards direction. If you don't do this quite right and the kite still ends up at the edge of the window too soon then you might need to send the kite down to get some more pull out of it and tension the lines. Now ride away smiling 'cause you just stuck a sweet transition. Play around with the timing and technique, but hopefully this is close enough to the truth that you can nail it.

Good luck!

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

I would say if your swinging out your sending the kite too fast the other way. Confused

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

The only one I do is a backroll with the kite a 12 then dive the kite hard in the new direction right as i land.